Marco Castrucci

A cognitive future internet architecture

This Chapter proposes a novel Cognitive Framework as reference architecture for the Future Internet (FI), which is based on so-called Cognitive Managers. The objective of the proposed architecture is twofold. On one hand, it aims at achieving a full interoperation among the different entities constituting the ICT environment, by means of the introduction of Semantic Virtualization Enablers, in charge of virtualizing the heterogeneous entities interfacing the FI framework. On the other hand, it aims at achieving an inter-network and inter-layer cross-optimization by means of a set of so-called Cognitive Enablers, which are in charge of taking consistent and coordinated decisions according to a fully cognitive approach, availing of information coming from both the transport and the service/content layers of all networks. Preliminary test studies, realized in a home environment, confirm the potentialities of the proposed solution.

Improving Resilience of Interdependent Critical Infrastructures via an On-Line Alerting System

This paper illustrates the activities under development within the FP7 EU MICIE project. The project is devotedto design and implement an on-line alerting system, able toevaluate, in real time, the level of risk of interdependent Critical Infrastructures (CIs). Such a risk is generated by undesired events and by the high level of interconnection of the different infrastructures. Heterogeneous models are under development to perform short term predictions of the Quality of Service (QoS) of each CI according to the QoS of the others, to the level of interdependency among the Infrastructures, and according to the undesired events identified in the reference scenario.

Convergence in Home Gigabit Networks: Implementation of the inter-MAC layer as a pluggable kernel module

Many new broadband, emerging applications such as high definition 3D video streaming or on-line gaming are going to be part of the future home. Current home networks are still not capable to cope with the tight requirements asked by these kind of applications. Moreover, many underlying wired and wireless transmission technologies are available, but no solution to reach a convergent framework is available. In this paper, we present a preliminary software implementation of a novel solution, called Inter-MAC, that realizes the convergence at MAC layer enabling a reliable and high performance delivery of application data and services. Our results show how it is possible to split flows onto different technologies when the overloading of a single link would cause unacceptable delay and packet loss results. This is done in a plug and play fashion: loading a kernel module in a running Linux machine.

Design and implementation of a mediation system enabling secure communication among Critical Infrastructures

Abstract Nowadays, the increase of interdependencies among different Critical Infrastructures (CI) makes it more and more difficult to protect without using a systemic approach that considers a single infrastructure as part of a complex system of infrastructures. A strong collaboration among CI owners is required to avoid, or at least to limit the propagation of failures from one infrastructure to another and to put CI in safety mode. The key element enabling this required cooperation is the possibility for them to exchange relevant information related to the status of their infrastructures and to the services provided. In this paper, we present a middleware solution that allows CIs sharing real-time information, enabling the design and implementation of fault mitigation strategies and mechanisms to prevent the cascading phenomena generated by the failure propagation from one infrastructure to another.

A Framework for Resource Control in WiMAX Networks

In this paper is presented an architecture for the control of wireless resources in a WiMAX access network, designed within the 1ST WEIRD project. Starting from WiMAX Forum architecture, new software modules have been introduced in the Control plane in order to manage dataflows in WiMAX access networks. The proposed solution allows to guarantee the requested QoS to data flows. Interaction between the Control plane and the Transport plane is realized in a equipment vendor independent way, thanks to the introduction of an Adaptation layer between the Control plane and the IEEE 802.16 MAC layer.

QoS management and control for an all-IP WiMAX network architecture: Design, implementation and evaluation

The IEEE 802.16 standard provides a specification for a fixed and mobile broadband wireless access system, offering high data rate transmission of multimedia services with different Quality-of-Service (QoS) requirements through the air interface. The WiMAX Forum, going beyond the air interface, defined an end-to-end WiMAX network architecture, based on an all-IP platform in order to complete the standards required for a commercial rollout of WiMAX as broadband wireless access solution. As the WiMAX network architecture is only a functional specification, this paper focuses on an innovative solution for an end-to-end WiMAX network architecture offering in compliance with the WiMAX Forum specification. To our best knowledge, this is the first WiMAX architecture built by a research consortium globally and was performed within the framework of the European IST project WEIRD (WiMAX Extension to Isolated Research Data networks). One of the principal features of our architecture is support for end-to-end QoS achieved by the integration of resource control in the WiMAX wireless link and the resource management in the wired domains in the network core. In this paper we present the architectural design of these QoS features in the overall WiMAX all-IP framework and their functional as well as performance evaluation. The presented results can safely be considered as unique and timely for any WiMAX system integrator.

Risk ontology and service quality descriptor shared among interdependent critical infrastructures

This paper presents first an ontology of risk for interdependent and heterogeneous Critical Infrastructures (CIs). It defines a data structure called Service Quality Descriptor (SQD) specifying the degradation of QoS over time, which should be shared between interconnected CI. SQD are shared in real time and contain a precise prediction of the future quality of service, so that this sharing can be useful to avoid failures, identify interdependencies, or accelerate and coordinate power failure recoveries and service restoration. Finally, the paper proposes a simplified method to determine the SQD of a delivery service as a linear function of the SQD of supporting services and parameters depending on the service delivery infrastructure. The approach has been defined within the European FP-7 project MICIE, in line with the EU initiative to establish a Critical Infrastructure Warning Information Network (CIWIN).

A MDP Approach to Fault-Tolerant Routingg

This paper defines a theoretical framework based on Markov Decision Processes (MDP) to deal with fault-tolerant routing algorithms in heterogeneous home networks, which are realized through the integration of different wired and wireless telecommunication technologies. Such networks are characterized by fast dynamics of link availability, mainly due to the wide use of wireless technologies. The novelty of this paper is the MDP approach to the fault-tolerant routing problem, which is addressed by introducing a re-routing policy: when a path becomes unavailable, the flows transmitted over that path are re-routed on another available path; the new path is selected taking into consideration the probability that also the new path can become unavailable in the future, in order to minimize re-routing occurrences. Numerical simulations show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

A MDP Approach to Fault-Tolerant Routing

This paper defines a theoretical framework based on Markov Decision Processes (MDP) to deal with fault-tolerant routing algorithms in heterogeneous home networks, which are realized through the integration of different wired and wireless telecommunication technologies. Such networks are characterized by fast dynamics of link availability, mainly due to the wide use of wireless technologies. The novelty of this paper is the MDP approach to the fault-tolerant routing problem, which is addressed by introducing a re-routing policy: when a path becomes unavailable, the flows transmitted over that path are re-routed on another available path; the new path is selected taking into consideration the probability that also the new path can become unavailable in the future, in order to minimize re-routing occurrences. Numerical simulations show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

MICIE: An Alerting Framework for Interdependent Critical Infrastructures

In this demonstration we present the MICIE platform for on-line risk assessment in scenarios with heterogeneous interdependent Critical Infrastructures (CIs) such as power distribution networks, power plants, refineries, water distribution networks, transportation systems and telecommunication networks. These CIs are highly exposed to a large number of threats, including natural hazards, component failures and intentional attacks. Moreover, the increasing interdependence between CIs amplifies the effects of such threats and adds novel challenges to risk assessment tools. In this context, MICIE is the first systematic approach to integrate CI interdependence factors in on-line risk assessment, addressing both the development of on-line risk assessment models and the development of an information sharing platform for continuous exchange of relevant risk information between interdependent CIs.